Do you consider yourself free?

Belfrager
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Do you consider yourself free?

2013-12-17, 22:57:09

I don't remember we had such a thread at D&D but, at these times of oppression, I thought that maybe it was important, that a group that puts friendship above our mutual differences, to be able to discuss the ultimate questions.

There is no absolute freedom, I know that, all of you know that, but one thing is certain, there is a basic need for freedom for every man, so important as breathing or eating, no matter our nationality, religion, social level or race.

Do you fell happy with the amount of freedom you have?
Simple as that...

A matter of attitude.

Re: Do you consider yourself free?

Reply #100 – 2014-11-08, 21:53:39

Quote from: Jimbro3738 – on 2014-11-03, 21:02:17

Sir, you'd be living in relative village poverty without universities.

Quote from: Jimbro3738 – on 2014-11-03, 21:02:17

Or in Portugal.

There's no patience. Do you know, dear ignorant, that my Country has one of the oldest and prestigious Universities in the world?? course not, you know shit but your pension at the end of the month.

Do you have one of those two doors gigantic refrigerators? course you do...

Re: Do you consider yourself free?

Reply #101 – 2014-11-08, 22:11:51

Quote from: Frenzie – on 2014-11-02, 20:52:54

Around here there are plenty of universities in cities of, say, 100,000 people. In America there are plenty of universities in towns made up out of less than 20-30,000, the majority of whom are students and academic personnel. More concretely, for most intents and purposes the university is the city.

That American thing would be called campus, not a city. In Europe there are university cities, which may be heavily reliant on and nurturing of their university, but there's still normal life too (production and services), not just university life.

I grew up in a town that during its best times had 1500 inhabitants. This is already big enough. It's not an insignificant town, but a municipal seat. 10,000 and more people would be oversized for me. I commute to the capital of Estonia, somewhat below half a million people, which is outrageously huge. Particularly for Estonia - about a third of the population of the whole country lives in the capital. I wish I could keep away from that place.

Re: Do you consider yourself free?

Reply #102 – 2014-11-08, 22:21:34

Quote from: ersi – on 2014-11-08, 22:11:51

I grew up in a town that during its best times had 1500 inhabitants. This is already big enough. It's not an insignificant town, but a municipal seat. 10,000 and more people would be oversized for me. I commute to the capital of Estonia, somewhat below half a million people, which is outrageously huge. Particularly for Estonia - about a third of the population of the whole country lives in the capital. I wish I could keep away from that place.

That's a very important statement, specially at a thread about personal freedom.

Re: Do you consider yourself free?

Reply #103 – 2014-11-09, 08:54:26

Quote from: ersi – on 2014-11-08, 22:11:51

I grew up in a town that during its best times had 1500 inhabitants. This is already big enough. It's not an insignificant town, but a municipal seat. 10,000 and more people would be oversized for me. I commute to the capital of Estonia, somewhat below half a million people, which is outrageously huge. Particularly for Estonia - about a third of the population of the whole country lives in the capital. I wish I could keep away from that place.

If a city feels significantly different than a village of a couple thousand people, I call that a failure of the city. It's why e.g. Antwerp or Düsseldorf (and most Dutch cities) are nicer than Brussels and Paris. And besides, there are villages that feel much like Paris. Admittedly, it sounds like you just dislike people, period.

Re: Do you consider yourself free?

Reply #104 – 2014-11-09, 09:35:16

Quote from: Frenzie – on 2014-11-09, 08:54:26

If a city feels significantly different than a village of a couple thousand people, I call that a failure of the city.

I was born just outside the town, in a real village with a dozen houses. But it's within the walking distance, and the town has everything, school and shop and doctor. And used to have more, an actual hospital, a cinema, etc.

We don't call the town village. We call the village village.

Quote from: Frenzie – on 2014-11-09, 08:54:26

Antwerp or Düsseldorf (and most Dutch cities) are nicer than Brussels and Paris. And besides, there are villages that feel much like Paris.

I have visited the allegedly oldest city in the United States, St. Augustine, Fl. The central historical street there occasionally has a village feel, when you shut out the tourists from the mind. But it's not a genuine feel. It's a Disney village. Sometimes city architects and planners succeed like this in a craftsy artsy way. I guess it's the same in Brussels and Paris. There's a villagey spot like this in most cities, I guess.

In Tallinn, for example, there's a new high-rise area with some walking streets that feel astonishingly cozy like a living room when you are there in the middle of a summer night with no one else around. Cozy at spots when you are not watching out carefully enough.

The most important difference between a city and village is just the scale after all. I prefer to be able to walk out of the settlement and end up in nature undisturbed soon enough, instead of having to drive a hundred miles and end up in a popular beach or park or resort still full of f'n people.

Quote from: Frenzie – on 2014-11-09, 08:54:26